the story of four
by Aeo199
Summary: four young people must save summersea fifty years after the end of the circle opens. seems like orgainals at first but it will become a lot different. rated this way for later chapters.
1. Cell walls

**Disclaimer: I do not own circle of magic or the circle opens and any references that might interfere with that stuff. The girl, wall, and Firestream are mine though. **

**Hi whoever reads this! This is my first story so I need a lot of feed back on it. If your interested in this fanfic then you've no doubt read the circle of magic etc. so you know the structure of the stuff**

"Uuuughh." Slowly sun filtered into the dark room, filling the smoky air with light making it even foggier and as clear as mud. Slowly the lone being in the room sat up clutching her head with both hands. "Fersco's hammer." A thirteen year old girl grasped her head in both hands, swaying back and forth, trying to get the drums to stop. She grimaced, rubbing dirt from a stubborn chin with long fingers, desperate for some comfort beside the light from the lone window set in the stone wall of the prison. "Well that blows it." She muttered standing up and stretching her long, lithe form in the dim haze. She shook her head trying to shake some of the dust from it to at least gain some dignity in this prison. Sighing she plumped down against the wall again. What was the use she thought angrily to herself, plucking at the dirty green of her once clean tunic, they had promised her a fair trial but had they followed up?

She shook her head "of course not" her gruff voice echoing around the small stone cell "why does the great judge have to lower himself to judge me?" She smiled bitterly. Of course he needed to judge her since the Lord Dedicate Firestream had accused her of theft. She snorted as if she could steal anything. She turned her gaze to her large hands and long arms. She was as clumsy as an ox in a china shop as many of her friends told her, though she could whistle better then anybody she knew. The light glinted off her roughly tied back hair, turning it a bright shining bronze when it had been a light brown before. Her clean cut eyebrows rose above gleaming hazel eyes before the light bounced off a hook of a nose and lip with the lower half slightly bigger then the top. These lips puckered and with a deep breath she began to whistle.

It wasn't like shrill whistling that you eventually get an earache from, but it wasn't low like a signal whistle. It was pure and simple, rising up and down like a piece of music. It was in fact a song and the guards outside, patrolling the prison, listening before catching the tune and continuing on their way. A playful tune about four legendary mages that after leaving Summersea with their apprentices, traveled the world, bringing back treasures and stories, of magic and sights rarely heard of and never seen in the dank streets of the now dismissal town.

First a joyful tune rang out, spreading forth tapestries and silks that you could almost touch through the tuneful whistle, with a note of command and nobleness yet sadness with every ringing sound. Next a growing march sounded gradually growing more complicated and louder with each note, each underlined with loyalty and wit. Third was a slow majestic piece, the beat held by the ringing of a low whistle that sounded like the bell tone of a hammer, but underneath was sadness and loneliness only tempered by the growing puzzle in each note about this mysterious mage. The last was loud and thunderous before breaking off into a soft song made in great concerts by the low hunting horn, sadness also marked this song but kindness as well, though the stubbornness of the horns to give up the melody played that part of the mage well.

Slowly the sound died off ringing in the ears of the girl in the cell as she tried to picture what the legendary mages would look like. She sighed and pounded the wall with her fist, before staring at it as she sternly reprimanded it. "Look at that." She whispered pointing to her knuckles "those scrapes didn't come from nothing you know you ought to be ashamed." She glared at the speechless wall before sighing and murmuring "I don't suppose you knew anything about them did you?" She asked the stone wall quietly "you been around a while maybe you saw them." Getting no response from the wall she continued. "I mean they've been gone for over fifty years" she paused "maybe their a myth made up by that dictator to keep us quiet."

After the head dedicates died the second in commands who took their place didn't like that the powerful mages were nothing more then a tool. She winced remembering there history lessons before the schools were closed. "They seized power you know." She whispered to the wall behind her seeking comforting in anything. "They used there power in a way it shouldn't be used." She shuddered remembering the awful pictures in her text book.

These were animated and moved along the lines of the battle showing a mage dressed in healers robes laughing as one by one the men around her died. Some simply collapsed like a puppet with their strings cut but some died in horrible ways, with blood churning from all the openings in there bodies until they fell, shrivelled like a dead frog she had once found. As the book moved on there were many such pictures. Men and women burning from the inside out, feeling warmth spread outwards before exploding on the spot. Others died clawing at their own faces trying to escape the dreadful images that grew before their eyes. Many died from wind and lightening, others from summoned monsters, plants, their own weapons and clothes, there was no end to the destruction these mages could cause.

At the end clip of the battle scene, one man stood in the face of the mages. The brave  
Duke of Summersea stood in his bloodied battle armour, protected by clothes his niece sewed for him and weapons that her friends helped make, stood alone as he faced the mages. None wanted to fight him of course so they sent forth a parlay while they quickly made plans, spelling one of their one with powerful unmagic spells or antimagic spells. Seen by no one and heard by even less this cowardly mage crept across the battle field clutching a dagger ending the war for the mages. This dagger was now lying in the University of Mages and was considered to be one of the most precious of artifacts. It was also part of the reason she was sitting in this cell explaining all this to a wall.

"You see" the girl said taping the wall fondly with a hand "they think I stole it but I didn't." The wall seemed doubtfully of this and she gentle rubbed, what she had come to think of, her wall. "They needed someone to blame and I happened to be in the room at the time." She patted the wall reassuringly "Don't worry I'm sure it will work out." She grinned and rubbed a secret pocket in her coat. "At least the meals here are better then anything I've scrounged up." The wall said nothing and the girl seemed to take that as a good night so with one final pat she slipped off into the peace of sleep.

**Review please and if you haven't down so already (though seeing as your at the bottom of the page you probably did) read please. Also Fersco is a god I made up he's in charge of music. Thanks- Aeo **

**Ps I need a name for her I'm starting to get a name for a couple of people but she turned out different then I expected and she needs a new name please review with one thanks-Aeo **


	2. The Blood and Flesh of Firstream

**Disclaimer: I don't own and never will own circle of magic etc. etc. (Though it's really good) **

**Hi here's the second chapter I hope you all like it please read and review thanks-Aeo **

**Ps- thanks for reviewing! I like the name and I might use it for a different character it sounds good!**

As he rode through the city, a cold sneer hardened his cruel face and the poor down trodden people of the once glorious city of Summersea dodged from the pounding hooves of the horses. The dedicate Firestream was not one to upset and with an arsenal of mages on his hands, you definitely stayed out of his way. A small child dashed to the middle of the road followed by the mother that swiftly snatched out of harms way as the captain didn't slow down at all ready to smash the young child under his horses hooves.

A thirteen year old boy rode on a small horse outside the high mage guard or fire guard as their called, looking thoughtful as he watched the reactions of the people to his father's approach. Of course he wasn't a legitimate son, no who could think such nonsense he thought to himself as a particularly scared man backed into an alley, not a smart thing to do these days. The boy winced as he heard the beat of clubs against flesh and saw a brief flash of the shadows of the monarch of Summersea, the shadow guard.

There were five areas of troops the water, the air, the earth, the fire, and the shadow, though there were rumours of an incredible secret light troop.

Lord Firestream and the other heads of department had spread across the country, conquering, burning, and killing as they went. Chammur had fallen easily to the earth troop setting heavy handed dedicate Earthflare on the throne there. The death cleansed city of Tharios became home to the water troop, who's dedicate took the name of her former teacher to spite her, dedicate Waterspinner was not to be trifled with. Kugisko was taken by the rowdy air troop that fought, drank, and caused mischief where ever they went. The dedicate Windmixer caused the first battle to be the last, freezing almost half of the northland in ice. That left Summersea for the dedicate Firestream, the leader, planner and executor of the plans. He was the one to kill the last duke of Summersea.

His black hair glistened in the bright shining sun, cut roughly in a crew cut as defiance to his father's orders. There was no deifying the resemblance between the king and the supposed servant boy. From their winged eyebrows, wide eyes and sharp chin it was easy to see the Firestream in the boys blood. Firestream glanced back at the boy though their faces looked similar their form and thought were as different as night and day. Firestream had a mage form, a lanky lithe figure as pale as the moon itself, but though the boy was also lanky, a deep tan sank into every pore of his skin to deepen it, turning him a deep bronze from the sun. His eyes however amazed the people who glanced at the servant boy at the back of the group. They gleamed a light blue that seemed to be as open as the sky itself, and his father feared those eyes. Open spaces meant enemies and that's all that mattered for the sickly old mage.

The gates of the citadel slowly creaked open revealing what was once the dukes citadel behind the high stone walls. The boy glanced at these high walls to see the new victims that were posted daily. They all had varying sighs around there necks but were each scorched from the inside out leaving only the sign recognisable. Thief one read while on another it read revolutionary. The boy's eyebrow rose as he saw many of these signs. They had finally caught the group; he had wondered when they would. He sighed and averted his eyes from the corpses above to the living below.

They were servants like him, and that was servant in the loosest of terms. The price was life, they all knew and none dared disobey an order from any mage. The boy stabled his horse before stabling the guards and dedicates horse. After grooming them carefully an air mage slid past filling the fur of the animals with the dirt he had just brushed off them.

Sighing he picked up the brush and started again grateful he didn't have to brush out the mane and tail again. A slim hand picked up a brush to help him and the boy gave a one sided smile as he glanced at his friend, Lero. She usually helped him groom the horses since the work in the kitchen was so boring as she put it and it was nice to get the extra help. "I almost didn't get here in time." She murmured carefully brushing every speck of dirt from the tack as the boy went over the horses. "yes." he murmured back, aware where every speck of dirt went.

Silence followed, but he knew that she was comforted by the fact that he looked out for her though his own life was a long way from being nice. "There all done." She said triumphantly gazing at the shining leatherwork as the boy carefully checked the horse's coat. "Come, let's go get something to eat." Lero said heading towards the door of the stable. The boy smiled and nodded following his short friend out the hall. She was fairly plain from one perspective with her brown hair easily tied under a red handkerchief and her diamond shaped face. She only came up to his chin but she was well respected around the citadel for her high temper. As her thin lips pursed and her thinner eyebrows shot up, the boy followed her gaze to see what had startled her.

A segment of the fire guard was dragging a small girl, barely seven summers old, towards the citadel. Suddenly a bright light flashed and he found he couldn't move. The girl now a summer older, in a servant's dress ran by. Her eyes were puffy and she cradled the side of her face where he could see a black eye and a spreading bruise. The cook came out of the kitchen and started to talk in a low voice to the girl. All the boy could hear was random snippets of the conversation. The word sleep came up many times and from the head cook's motions the girl had fallen asleep at the fire, burning something. With a quick, darting motion the cook grabbed a leather strap from her belt and began mercilessly whipping the young child. She cried out from the pain and the boy felt someone shaking his shoulder as the world changed to the face of Lero.

"Hey Ser, come on, snap to it." Lero was shaking him and sighed with relief as he blinked trying to figure out where he was. "The girl." He turned toward the front gate and saw the small girl being dragged toward the kitchen. Lero turned and saw what he was staring at. "It's terrible." Her eyes gleamed in anger as she clenched her hands and jaw. "When they need a new servant it's not lets see if anyone's for hire, it's let's grab some helpless kid off the street and scare the living soul out of her." She growled before continuing towards the servants' mess hall. Ser quickly fell in step with her and nodded agreement before they entered the silent room around fifteen minutes later.

The only noise was made by the clinking of cutlery and the sobs of a small girl who had just had her life ripped away from her. "Come on." Lero whispered gathering some food and heading towards the small girl. Ser followed closely wondering how he could help the kid. He had learned to trust these things like when it had warned him about Lero's broken arm and a lost amulet that he had been blamed for. They had saved him and his friend from death by starvation on that incident.

The girl now dressed in the plain white blouse and brown skirt that all the kitchen staff wore looked like a startled deer as she stared at Ser and Lero as they politely asked to sit with her. She nodded, quickly reverting her eyes back to her own food. Ser stared at her with a sad look in his eyes as she almost inhaled the food. Terrified though she was it didn't stop her from eating the plain stew like it was fresh meat for the Dedicate. Lero ate her meal at a more moderate rate, ripping a small loaf into small pieces to dip in her stew while Ser merely sipped his stew, barely eating any. After her stew and bread was gone as well as well as Ser's bread and a good portion of his stew, the girl sighed contently, not happily but content that she was in a house with food. Ser twitched, knowing what that meant and his shoulders sagged. Lero also noticed and her head dropped over her dish as she and Ser both got up and left.

"He got another one." They were back in the courtyard enjoying the only free time period they had. Ser nodded in reply to Lero's statement and looked back at the sky that was radiant in the warm summer air. He had been there when Firestream had worked the compulsion magic but for some reason it didn't affect him or Lero in affiliation with him. As he pondered this he heard a cheery whistling tune split the air and as he closed his eyes he saw a tall lanky girl whistling in a cell. With a slight smile he turned to look at the stone prison that the whistling was coming from just outside the gates wondering how his life could be affected by a single whistler.

**Ta da! My second chapter finished though I like the first better please Review and tell me what you think of it.**

**Ser is pronounced seer and Lero is pronounced le-row. Thanks – Aeo **


	3. Meetings and Secret faces

**Hi here's chapter three please read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Circle of Magic besides the girl, the wall, Ser, Lero, and this new character. **

**Note: thanks for the reviews! Your question is answered at the bottom so you should read as you go down- thanks Aeo **

A thin girl hung in the arms of two soldiers, panting as she tried to draw enough breath to fill her lungs. Her dark brown hair hung over her face masking her thin, gaunt looking face from her captors. She gave a weak struggle, trying to fight the stomach pains at the same time but she soon gave up, panting like a dog as she hung as a dead weight in the firm grip of the soldiers, who twitched every once in a while.

"Hey Rost, how do ya think the beggar's doing?" The thunderous voice of one guard cut through her ears and drove into her brain as she tried to wince around her black eye. The guard called Rost stopped and roughly grabbed her chin forcing her brown flecked grey eyes to meet his own dark brown eyes. "I think she needs to be whipped into shape like some of the other prisoners." One hand strayed to the cats-tails hanging from his belt and the girl violently shook her head as she tried to speak. "N-n-no d-o-on't h-h-hit me." Her voice sounded like a rake over gravel and the words seemed to stop half way from her mouth, unfinished.

"What did'jer say?" Rost leaned in closer and a feral grin swept over his face as he watched the thirteen summer old beggar try to speak around a dry tongue. She tried to speak but yelped instead to find the other guard had grabbed her throat and had started to lift her off the ground. She placed both her hands on the hand on her neck and watched in interest as the man started to sweat and dropped her with a gasp.

"Demon!" he spat on her as she tried to stand up weak from hunger and she jolted as the man kicked her hard in the ribs causing a bolt of pain through her body. "I'm not a demon." She said hoarsely, but the guards were to busy arguing about what to do with her to notice. "We should kill the Demon for what she is!" The guard she had touched yelled glaring at Rost, who shook his head. "No the whistler needs some company to shut her up that's the best solution." They both nodded and started walking again, this time with the girl walking between them, brushing off her worn grey tunic. It had lasted her all her days of scrounging and could surely last a couple more weeks, although she thought as she frowned at a sleeve, the sem was ripping. The whistler was a prisoner no doubt and so was she. The girl frowned and shakily rubbed each of her ribs. She could feel them all in great detail and quickly shifted her hands as she came to a fresh bump on one.

"Here we are." They came to a stone wall that didn't look any different from the rest, but as they approached the girl could hear the faint sound of someone whistling behind it. Whoever it was they didn't seem to be unhappy about the cell though she did hear a wistful note in the sound. One of the guards rapped on the wall and the whistling abruptly stopped and the girl could hear a faint rustling noise as the door slid open. Dust billowed out of the chamber as the guards threw her in and quickly pulled the door shut creating a second billow that sparked off a set of racking coughs that shook her thin frame. A hand lightly hit her back to stop the cough as a rough voice slid through the silence. "No need to cough up a lung, there that's better." When her coughing had stopped she glanced up to see this mysterious whistler. Instead she saw a lanky girl her own age grinning at her. "are you wearing a fire or something because you burn friend." The girl avoided the question with another "Who are you?" The girl's face if possible grew even brighter and she held out a hand. "I'm Frye." The other girl took the hand and looked at the girl before a wary smile crossed her face. "I'm Ailan."

Frye quickly let go, and stared at her hand. A dark shadowy patch had begun to grow on her hand. She let out a low whistle of amazement and the dark patch faded into nothing. Ailan flinched and backed into the corner ready for the blows she'd receive for the pain but the tall girl looked at her kindly and inched beside her, carefully sitting down.

"Are you hungry?" She asked suddenly, starting to go through her many pockets. "Because if you are then I have something here." Frye rummaged around inside the various pockets in her shirt and soon a couple of weird items scattered across the floor from the objects that were pouring from her pockets. A couple of strange coins, a bar of soap, some poppy seeds, there were so many things in her pockets it was like a pawn shop.

Ailan picked up a small spiked ball which had been carefully placed down instead of tossed and brought it close to her face. It wasn't sharp by any means and was actually quite soft and flexible as she ran it through her fingers, finding a small button on the edge of one of the spines. She carefully pressed it and quickly pulled back with a yelp as a hideous face appeared on the side of the ball. Frye looked up from her diligent search to see the face being sucked back into the ball and she quickly moved over beside the terrified girl.

Ailan looked up in surprise as she heard a chuckle from the girl beside her and watched as Frye picked up the ball, carefully pressing the button. As the face popped out again she stuck two fingers in its mouth and yanked out two small pieces of wire coiled around a large hunk of cheese. "There!" She said triumphantly as she unwound the wire and tossed the piece of cheese to Ailan who wolfed it down faster then either of them could blink. "Thanks for finding it I couldn't find anything in these pockets if my soul depended on it." Frye started to stuff the various objects back into her pouch before taking the spiky ball from Ailan. She gazed at it proudly before stuffing into the breast pocket. "My invention you know." She said proudly as she gazed at Ailan's shocked face. "A secret face to keep secrets in."

She had moved to the door and stuck one of the wires underneath. Ailan crouched beside her and watched her friend's tongue stick out and her forehead crease as she searched for the panel. "Always have emergency panel." She mumbled more to herself then to Ailan beside her. "In case a guard gets trapped or something, there we go." There was a resounding click as the door slid slightly forward and a gap with just enough room for a gloved hand appeared.

Frye looked exceedingly pleased with herself and motioned for Ailan to keep her ear on the wall nearest the door. "Tell me if anyone's coming." She whispered as she slid her hands into the crack. She gritted her teeth and tensed herself. "Here goes nothing." With a mighty heave she yanked the door open and stumbled out into the dim light of the hallway.

Ailan stuck her head out of the cell and a wide smile broke her face for the first time as she jumped quickly out, and drew in a deep breath to whoop in joy. A hand quickly clasped over her mouth and she saw Frye on the other end, sporting a wide grin though pain shone in her eyes and an upheld finger. "Look." Ailan did look and what she saw made her grin widen and Frye had to quickly clamp a hand over her mouth again wincing as she did.

The two guards were tossing dice in the corner of the barracks as a pair of thin hands grabbed the water canteen from the hook on the wall as well as two cloaks, while a pair of larger hands grabbed the pack of food supplies that hung next to the canteen before it hesitated and grabbed the thin dagger that lay on the table as well.

**End of the third chap, review and tell me what you think please also should the fourth character be a guy or girl, PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks- Aeo**

**Ps there was some confusion about the guards. **

**(1st) Fire guard: Firestream's personal guard trained in fire and lightning magic **

**(2nd) Water guard: Waterspinner's personal guard trained in water and healing torture magic. **

**(3rd) air guard: Windmixer's rowdy troop that causes a lot of trouble with their air magic.**

**4th) earth guard: under Earthflare's command these are the grunts of the army and have two earth mages per squad.**

**Assassins: the shadow troop use a diluted form of unmagic that makes them invisible to spells and sight but causes great pain when used so there aren't many people in this troop. **

**Special: the Light enforcing troop, this troop circles around collecting young child with the talent for magic and is never seen by anyone. **


	4. Captures and Surging shadows

**Ok this is chap 4 there was some confusion about some stuff and I'll clear it up in this chapter and in the next couple of chapters. I'd like to thank the person who sent me the really good tips for the story and I'll try to stop using run on sentences. Ok on we go- Aeo**

The bright sunlight was warm on Frye's face as she savored the beautiful feeling of warmth it gave. The prison was behind them now with the entire city of Summersea before them. She glanced beside her at Ailan who kept her head bent to hide from the sunlight, flinching when she looked up. Frye sighed and continued on down the dank, dusty main street, heading for the market place. Unknowingly she sped up and started to jog leaving Ailan behind in her rush to see familiar streets and faces again. There was a soft padding of feet behind her and with a glance over her shoulder she saw Ailan start to run after her. A grin slid across her face and she changed her pace to a lope, passing dingy stalls with filthy people in a blur. It was all like she remembered, as dirty as dirt its self but home never the less. The people at the stalls selling half ripe fruit and the baker turning out half loaves were the same though some had changed and many were missing but that was life in the new Summersea.

A sudden thud drew her attention back to the place Ailan had been mere seconds before. "Ailan?" Her voice echoed back to her and she took a step forward before looking back towards the bustling market place where she had thrived for years. Her shoulders straightened and a slight frown marked her face as she headed into the shadows of the alley. She started to whistle softly to herself and continued deep into the Alley looking for her friend and former cell mate. "Frye?" Ailan's voice was choked by something and a yelp sound down the street. "The Shadow mage catch her!" A dark tendril streaked across the dark stones of the alley to tightly grab her arm. A yell sprung to her throat as the prickling coldness ran through her, causing her arm to shake and a brief draining feeling. She tried to pull it off but she was starting to feel strangely weak like she was pulling herself through molasses and it wouldn't come off, clinging to her like a leech.

After a couple of minutes it quickly let go and Frye quickly ran down the alley it darted down, carefully to avoid touching it to keep all her strength. She saw a blinding flash of light in front of her and quickly darted behind one of the many piles of garbage that littered all the streets and alleys. Slowly she started to whistle again, desperate for anything to calm herself down. The tune was called "the thief's disguise" and was quite soft, barely heard as she tried to calm down. She slowly peaked out again and saw Ailan standing in front of a tall, broad-shouldered man in a white robe. 

Frye gasped as she saw that her friend's eyes had turned into a whirlpool of ebony shadows, each twisting in and out of each other as they escaped through her fingers to attack both of the mages. The man was having a hard time, wincing each time a strike hit him and the flames that burst from his palms had little affect on the shadows that just snuffed them out. The other dedicate, a woman stood behind her, dressed in the same white robe with a blinding light glowing in her hand as she blocked the shadow tendrils that lashed at her from every angle.

Knowing the garbage couldn't hide her forever Frye took a deep breath and stepped out into the open, whistling the thief's tune in her mind as she drew her self up like a noble or someone who might have authority, Dedicate Waterspinner she thought picturing the tall white haired Dedicate to try to get a picture of authority.

"What are you doing here?" She yelled with a furious scowl and was surprised as the two mages quickly dropped to one knee "Dedicate Waterspinner, we're merely acquiring a new student for the training facilities." The light wielding Mage stuttered, glancing from her companion to Ailan who was leaning against the wall, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at Frye. Frye's concentration wavered as the fire mage looked up expectantly. "It is expected that the Dedicate capture the students themselves, Your Honor." Frye started to panic and her concentration broke her picture of Dedicate Waterspinner shattered as well as her Mind Whistle. "Look it's just a beggar!" Both of the mages were on their feet again and started towards Frye, murderous looks on there faces. "Oh no." She scrabbled one hand behind her in the garbage heap to find something to help her as the two mages approached with a deadly look on their faces.

She saw Ailan still against the wall, lying with her eyes and mouth open as dark tendrils spilled from anywhere it could. Shadows surged from her fingertips and from her eyes and mouth, flattening any defense the two mages had. The tendrils dug into their skin and soon they didn't look human anymore just large pulsing masses of shadow. Ailan jolted with every pulse and a delighted look appeared on her face as the mages screamed in pain and for mercy. "The power." She laughed, standing up and still gushing shadow tendrils that now darted towards Frye. Frye grabbed a piece of an old chair that lay on the top of the heap and tried to fend off the shadows but there were too many.

As she felt the first icy touch of a Shadow on her arm she let out a piercing whistle that seemed to resound through the alleyway and broke the tendrils grip on her. Using her whistles like swords she deftly forced the shadows back towards her friend and the two throbbing masses that were the two mages. "Ailan?" Frye slowly approached her friend who was now twitching. "Frye stay back!" Ailan raised her head and Frye recoiled as she saw that the shadows had started to engulf the rest of her friend's face, spilling over it like oil. Steeling herself, Frye dropped the piece of chair and began to whistle again. There was no tune, it was the piercing blade like sounds from before, and she kept on whistling as she gently placed her hands on Ailan's skinny shoulders.

The pain that ripped through her was like a hot knife or a lightening bolt that coursed through her, but the whistle seemed to dull the pain making it easier to bear and she was there in Ailan's mind. It was dark and haunting pulsing with shadows and dark memories and as Frye soared through her friends mind she saw pieces of the shadow tendrils everywhere clinging to memories and every single part of her mind. Using sharp whistles Frye cut them away easily and started to follow them towards the middle of her friend's magic. The shadow just grew back however and whenever she turned around more were growing where she had just cut them. As she stopped and looked at this with ghostly eyes, she remembered how the light mage had stopped Ailan so easily.

_I wondered how long it would take you. _Frye turned around to see the ghostly image of Ailan floating opposite her with an upraised eye brow. _Wait a second _Frye frowned and looked at her friend, _if you're here then whose in charge of your body? _Ailan shrugged _I still am but we've both sunk deep into each others minds so we can see a sort of spirit of each other. _Frye nodded and turned back to the growing shadows. _How did this happen? _She asked but Ailan shrugged _I don't know, they came up to me and I got scared and then the shadows started coming out and _she shuddered _I lost control, the pure magic from the light mages drove my shadows insane and they had to have more. _

Frye had perfected a light whistle before in her days before captivity and used this now. _What the . . . _Frye was now growing brighter then the sun and the shadows slowly shriveled up and she could hear a small keening noise coming out of them as they slowly disappeared. _That was good let's get the rest _Frye headed down the long tunnel that pointed towards the center of Ailan's magic. _No we can't I'd die and a cursed existence is better then the death this would bring. _Ailan placed a firm hand on Frye's shoulder and she reluctantly turned around. _If you say so but you'll always have the risk of this happening again. _Frye cautioned and Ailan nodded. _Now to get out _Frye glanced around and closed her eyes picturing the how they would look outside her Friends head.

When she opened them again she saw the shadows slowly slinking back into her friends head. "Ailan?" Frye pulled her hands off her friends shoulders then knelt down in front of her. Blurrily Ailan opened her grey flecked eyes and smiled tiredly up at her friend who smiled back. "How do you feel?" Frye asked hoarsely "Exhausted you?" "Double what you said then add some surprise and you'll get what I'm feeling." They chuckled and Frye stood up, offering Ailan a hand up, which she declined. "Look." Ailan pointed towards where the two mages had once stood. All that was left was a small pile of dust; the shadows had sucked out everything. "Come on." Frye said handing Ailan the piece of chair that she had used to fend off the shadows with as a crutch. "I know where we could get some meat for free." Ailan looked surprised "Really? Where?" Frye smiled and gestured towards the shining dome that was the light guards training facility. "Why, there of course."

**Chap 4 done whew that was hard with a writers block and all that I hope that cleared some stuff up if it didn't then just review and tell me what I did wrong, flames are fine just anything – thanks Aeo**


	5. Prophecy and Untaught Healers

**Chap 5 **

**Ok I have absolutely no idea who turned evil but if you mean the discipline group they haven't turned evil though someone else has. **

**If there are any other questions or suggestions then just post and I'll answer in the next chap thanks- Aeo**

"Did you or did you not do the work." One of the Dedicate's eyebrows shot up with this question as he stared at the solid shivering girl in front of him. She come up to his chin and stood as straight as the red hot poker in his bare hands while she stared straight at his Adams apple.

"No sir I didn't finish the work." Her voice came out in a whisper that either of them could barely hear so she took a deep breath and tried again. "I didn't finish the work sir." She continued to stare straight at his throat and tried to wipe all emotion from her face. Here in the light troop's mage training center emotion meant weakness and weakness meant death.

The education Dedicate sighed and gently tapped the poker on the floor, marking it with small burn spots before his gaze returned to the dark muscular girl before him. She took a deep breath as she counted to seven silently before releasing it, bringing the silver glow of the room before her dark brown eyes.

Her healing gifts also sprung forward ready to be used to help, but helping was not what she was being taught. Instead her gift brought visions of what could be broken inside. With the stomach pierced and a ruptured spleen a subject would be in agony until the slow end of death came with no mark on the outside of what had happened.

"Apprentice Rowanbark!" Rowan jumped from the sudden yell and the brief pain from a kiss from the poker. She stood straighter and looked down before squarely meeting his gaze. "Yes Dedicate Lightspinner?" She asked, determined to meet what was coming head on, instead of slinking into the shadows like a thief.

The dedicate folded his hands on the desk in front of and stared at the girl before making his proclamation. "Two new mages have been found by the guard." He said his smooth voice trickling over the room, "they are being brought here and you must" he smiled and Rowan fought a shudder as his fat cheeks spread with it, making his attempt in a smile sag into a grimace. "Take care of them shall we say." He sat back with a satisfied smirk as his chair groaned beneath him and his gold trimmed white robe.

The dark haired apprentice moaned and quickly bowed before leaving the office. Once she was out of ear shoot she leaned against the wall and pressed her face against the smooth cold stone. The new apprentices never lasted unless they came at a young age, as all of them knew. Even then only the strongest survived and many of the successful ones had to, she shuddered remembering the looks on many of the last year apprentices when they had heard the new rule.

"The bloodline of mages must continue" it read as the stuffy lord chamberlain sorrowfully read it out, wincing when he heard a sob. Rowan sighed from the memories and trotted off to the front gate. She prepared herself to meet the new students who were bound to arrive at any moment and she didn't want to be caught unaware.

"Hi!" a girl suddenly appeared in front of her as she was in sight of the front gate. Rowan startled reacted with her magic, sending it forth to push the girl backwards. She slammed into the wall and the side of her face took the brunt of it, breaking her long pointed nose. Rowan's hands flew to her face then back down to the girl who was brushing off her clothes as she got up from the ground. "Here let me help you." Rowan's hands rose to the girl's nose and she dropped her magic barriers.

The magic surged through both of them, lighting the hall pale silver as both started to glow. Cartilage grated again under her fingers and she screamed as the magic rushed back, tearing down her barriers and dropping them both to the floor. Rowan stared at the ceiling breathing heavily as she tried to make sense of what happened. She had never healed anything before only caused pain in classes. But she thought as she slowly got up, shaking from exhaustion, healing was what she was meant to do.

"Are you ok?" The tall girl in front of her held her steady with a clumsy grip as worry flashed through her hazel eyes. "I'm fine." Rowan gasped as she leaned against the wall only to discover it was soft and a brief flash of pain registered in her brain. "Frye!" A hoarse voice yelled as the wall suddenly pulled away from her and she stumbled only to have the girl, Frye, catch her. "Ailan I can't see you!" Frye held Rowan up with one hand as she searched around with the other, the sun glinting off her bronze hair as she turned towards it. "Over here." A shadow shifted in the corner to reveal the scrawny pale faced girl that hadn't been there a minute before.

"What type of mages are you?" Rowan's voice came out in a squeak and she turned to Frye. "I'll be all right." Frye nodded cheerfully and let go of the healer to lean against the wall. Ailan ignored Rowan and stood in front of Frye with her hands folded over her chest, staring sternly at the girl that was happily whistling while small bits of the middle stone in the wall fell to the ground.

"Frye you're doing it again." The taller girl looked down and saw the small pieces of gravel surrounding her. She smiled sheepishly and quickly gave two short whistle bursts. The gravel was gone and was pot shaped like a chicken. Rowan reached towards it, picking it up as she hefted the weight of it. "A chicken?" Ailan's eyebrow rose as Frye stared at the ground. "I'm hungry and I thought of a chicken first so." She spread her arms and Rowan giggled at the sight of the smaller Ailan reprimanding the much taller Frye.

Rowan tapped Ailan's shoulder to ask her something but Ailan quickly jerked away. "Don't touch me." She froze and stared at Rowan's pained expression, before sighing and sinking down against the wall. Frye frowned and sank down beside her. Rowan shifted uncomfortable from foot to foot as she stood facing the two friends that were also seemed to be the new students.

"Rowan!" She quickly turned to see her main "healing" instructor, Dedicate Oakchime, standing barely three feet away. Quickly her head dropped and she gave a stiff bow to the intimidating woman who stared at the new arrivals with a loaded gaze. Frye seemed unbothered by this and smiled up at the woman before rising to extend a hand. "I'm Frye who are you?" Her bright smile was offset by the teachers glare as she stared straight into Frye's level gaze. "Apprentice Frye, I am Mage Oakchime and the instructor of healing arts" She paused and turned to stare at Ailan who was still sitting on the floor. "Why do you not rise for a Mage, stand up!" She grabbed the thin girl's shoulder just as her face turned to meet her gaze.

Oakchime froze and an expression of fear crossed her face as Ailan's eye's changed. Her normal Brown flecked grey eyes were gone, replaced by pools of ebony that seemed to swirl in a tight circle, expanding until no pupil showed. "Don't touch me." Her voice came out in a angry whisper, and Rowan could hear the pain radiating through the girl, as she fought her magic.

Oakchime screamed as she saw her magic start to drain into the waiting pool inside this girl and Frye quickly grabbed her and pulled her back breaking her connection with Ailan as the girl began to glow with shadows. "Frye." Her voice came out in a struggled gasp and her eye's opened for a second revelling two brown flecked, grey eyes before these eyes rolled up and she collapsed in a dead faint.

Rowan quickly slipped into mediation breathing before opening her eyes to see the magic. Magic still streamed from Oakchime to Ailan, but it was a weaker stream. She watched it a second longer before she saw it wasn't slowing down. Panicking She slammed a shield down between it and watched in growing horror as the shadow magic now ran through that shield to her leaving only enough magic for Oakchime to live. She quickly withdrew her shield to throw it up again in front of this shadow but it just attacked the wall like a starved tiger that knows there's a meal on the other side. The wall crumbled and the shadows streaked across the final foot to pierce Rowan's side.

She screamed and doubled over as a sheet of fire spread through her body and every joint, muscle and organ in search of her magic. It was like they just shoved every thing aside and dived in heedless of what broke or was destroyed in their haste. Another spike shoot through her side and she writhed in agony as three more propelled themselves through her skin. Her magic was going crazy as it tried to find the pain though there was nothing wrong with her body, just pain. Suddenly she stiffened and screamed loader then any time before as the power found her magic. It was like they were mining under her skin, in her bones and in her very heart as she felt the ripping pain of everything being carried back to the body the shadows inhabited.

_Ailan_, Rowan thought as she fought to get out of the shadow's grasping tendrils. _Here, _the soft voice of the shadow mage spoke through the tendrils that grasped her power and she could hear the pain through the mind link. _Quick send out your own thread, _Ailan offered no explanation but the urgency and worry in the thought broke through the pain. In the shimmering light of her power she took a handful of veins and tossed them around Ailan. _Nothing's happening, _she moaned to the shadowy form of the girl. _Frye._

Rowan's eyes flew open and landed on Frye who was already approaching the thrashing Ailan, whistling under her breath to calm down before placing her hands on her friends shoulders. The screams were immediate and in their shared mind, Ailan winced as Frye dug her fingers through the thin fabric of her tunic. _Rowan, I'm going to connect the veins! _Rowan started and started to ask _how did you know my nam, not now ask later! _Ailan shouted before reaching to the vein tendrils that surrounded her body. _Frye! Drive them into my magic with threads of yours, _

_But,_

_just do it! _Rowan broke in sending more threads and desperately she tried to get one to the swirling pool of magic inside her new friend.

Frye gritted her teeth in pain and frustration before reaching clumsily to the core of her power. Each time she grasped a thread it would slip out of her grasp and soon Rowan was frantic with worry. _Frye, Rowan, someone else is in my mind! Their power . . . _Suddenly Ailan's voice rang out through the hall startling the people who had rushed there at the first scream. It was no longer filled with pain, but purpose and power. "Hear me!" she called out her eyes widening revealing the full pools of ebony "And listen well! The stream of fire is dying and only the light will show the way for the shadowed; the whistler will lead those who follow, the healer with no teaching, the silent seer, and the shadow in need of light, for they shall quench the flame and start a new age for the forgotten gods!" Rowan grasped Frye's hand strengthened by the change in Ailan's voice and reached the other to Ailan's shoulder.

Silver light blossomed around them and slowly filled the hall, as the three friends grasped the surging shadows while Frye grasped a hand full of her magic. She quietly began to whistle and slowly the song of the four mages sprung from her lips and spilled across the hall centering their power as the veins and rhythms of magic tightened around the shadows, forcing them back into Ailan's well of magic. The shadow's surged quickly forward when they got there trying to break the barriers as the veins and rhythms intertwined. Rowan gasped in pain as the shadow's battered against her magic, soon they would escape.

_Light like before!_ Frye grinned and quickly gather her magic. She quickly built up a light melody around the shadows then cut herself off. Rowan smiled and strengthened the melody until no shadows would escape randomly like they did now before cutting off. Ailan watched this with curiosity and she reached inside and fond some of her life force untouched by her magic and added that to the protectiond. With a nod of satisfaction she opened her eyes to find that Frye lying to one side asleep with Rowan on the other. With her two friends on either side and a crowd in the door way, she instantly collapsed into the dark gentleness of sleep.

**That's chapter 4 ok into the real plot next chap these are like set up plot lines and character description please review- Aeo. **


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